Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Boys in the Valley was one of the best horror books I read back in 2022. I was so happy to see Philip had written another horror novel. His short story collection last year wasn’t my favorite, and I think he does amazing with long formats like this.

This story broke my heart from the beginning. I guess I just have a soft spot for little old folks. I love how emotionally distressed this made me. As we got to know these characters, I wanted them all to get away safely. The body count here was high, and I always love a good slasher that’s not afraid to be gory.

Rose is a badass main character who I thought was super interesting. Even more interesting about a white male author writing in the POV of an elderly black woman. I believed Rose’s character and I fell in love with her. She had dreams and fears and a tragic past. She and Miller and their friend group were so fun to watch. There were moments here that were actually really funny and I appreciated that break from the chaos.

The killer was a surprise. I had guesses but it was very well done. Murdering in a retirement home feels so scummy but they were right that they could be easy targets. I felt so bad for everyone. I actually wanted to cry for a few of them. This story was a punch in the heart but also super entertaining and it had me on my toes the whole time. I love Philip Fracassi’s writing so much and I always look forward to another book by him now.